


Flowers And Monsters

by MaliceManaged



Series: One Wish Away [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Breaking and Entering, Canon Divergence - Thor: The Dark World, Did I Mention That Loki Does What He Wants, Frigga Knows Things, Frigga Lives, Gen, Kids Know Things, Loki Does What He Wants, Nightmares, Technically Stealing, because I said so, fight me, helpful loki, magick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 16:44:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7322947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Loki sneaks into Jane's house in the middle of the night because of reasons and has a chat with her daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flowers And Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> I was messing around with my sims; suddenly, random story appears!
> 
> I think my muse is trying to tell me something...
> 
> Enjoy.

    Loki was never one for staying put for long; to call him restless would be an understatement, and the results of such were invariably unpleasant for everyone around him. It was with that thought in mind that, after Malekith was defeated and Thor ascended to the throne, he decided to somewhat pardon his brother, or at least lighten his sentence to allow him a bit of freedom. Odin disagreed, thinking it too big a risk, but Frigga agreed with their eldest; knowing that that and some recognition for Loki’s efforts against the dark elves would go a long way towards easing some of the resentment still held.

 

    There was of course a lot the Trickster was still not allowed to do, hiding from Heimdall being first and foremost among them, but as the years passed and Thor began to seek his council for the more complicated political issues that arose (as well as things he simply didn’t want to deal with, not that he would admit it), he seemed to not mind it quite as much as his former father assumed.

 

    Presently the God of Mischief found himself on Midgard, outside the home of one Jane Foster-Goddard. He would never say it aloud, but he was glad the scientist got over her girlish infatuation with his brother; he had seen her work, and thought she was far too smart to be mooning over Thor. He wasn’t quite sure what brought him there but he went inside anyway, carefully stepping around furniture and lab equipment, until he found his way upstairs towards the bedrooms. The door at the end of the hall he assumed to be the master bedroom, where Jane and her husband where likely sleeping peacefully; he passed a bathroom and an empty guest room, and stood outside another closed door.

 

    He was about to turn and walk away when he heard a slight shuffling sound from within; his brow furrowed and he leaned closer to the door, ear trained for the smallest of disturbances. Sure enough, the sound came again, and this time he could distinguish it as the rustling of sheets from someone moving on a bed. Loki wasn’t sure what possessed him to do it, but before he was aware of it his hand was turning the doorknob and opening the door. He found himself staring into a room that unmistakably belonged to the child of an astrophysicist; the ceiling was dotted with tiny twinkling lightbulbs that resembled stars, the walls held all manner of star- and planetary charts (some he recognised from his travels across the realms, which told him that Jane had had a hand in their creation), and by the window was a rather impressive telescope.

 

    There was another shuffling sound and Loki’s eyes were drawn to the canopied bed, where he found a lump of bedsheets that most certainly _did not_ conceal a child. An amused smile made its way to his lips and he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, making his way towards the bed. He reached down to the corner of the covers nearest him and pulled it up slowly; a glimpse of long brown hair was all his eyes could make out before a torch was clicked on and light flooded his vision, causing him to drop the sheet and shield his eyes with a slight hiss.

 

    When the white spot finally cleared from his eyes, Loki pulled the sheet up and peeked under it again, kneeling down so as to not loom over the small grey-eyed girl in dinosaur pyjamas huddled within. “Hello,” He greeted quietly with a slight smile.

 

    “Are you going to eat me?” The girl asked in what he supposed passed for a whisper to a small child.

 

    Loki blinked and couldn’t quite supress a small huff of laughter. “Not tonight; I’ve already had my dinner,” He replied lightly with a grin. This seemed to reassure the girl, because she pulled and pushed the covers aside, which he took as a sign that it was okay to sit down on the bed before her. “What is your name, little one?” He asked gently.

 

    “Madeline,” The girl replied, switching the torch off and turning on a small lamp on her bedside table, “What’s yours?”

 

    “I am Loki of Asgard; at your service,” Loki replied importantly with as grand a bow as he could manage from his sitting position, earning a giggle that he smiled at.

 

    Madeline eyed him curiously for a moment. “My mommy told me about you,” She said after a moment.

 

    “Oh?” Loki began, “I met her once, some time ago. What did she have to say about me?”

 

    “She said that you saved her,” Madeline replied.

 

    “Well, _someone_ had to,” Loki said with a slight scoff.

 

    “She said she wanted to thank you, but she didn’t know if she should,” Madeline continued then scrunched up her face slightly in annoyance, “If _I_ don’t say ‘thank you’; I get scolded.”

 

    Loki chuckled. “Parents don’t always follow their own rules,” He said sympathetically, earning a slight huff; he looked over at the clock next to the lamp then back at the girl, “It’s very late, Madeline; why aren’t you asleep?”

 

    “Monsters won’t let me,” Madeline replied, looking down at her lap.

 

    “What monsters?” Loki asked curiously, though he wasn’t sure why; most children believed monsters lurked in the dark corners of their bedrooms, and they usually outgrew them before long.

 

    “They’re in my head,” Madeline replied, raising a hand and tapping her temple, “Daddy says they’re not real; mommy doesn’t say it, but I don’t think she agrees.”

 

    That gave him pause. Childish fears were one thing, but if Jane wasn’t sure that’s all they were... “What do these monsters look like?” Loki asked.

 

    “I don’t know,” Madeline replied with a shrug, “They just talk to me; I don’t see them.”

 

    “What do they say, then?” Loki asked, already working on identifying the problem.

 

    Madeline looked uncomfortable. “I’m not supposed to say,” She replied, sounding a bit fearful, “They said they’d hurt mommy if I told.”

 

    Loki frowned then leaned forward and placed a hand on Madeline’s head; he muttered something under his breath then retrieved his hand. “There,” He announced, “Now they can’t hear us.”

 

    “Why not?” Madeline asked.

 

    “Magick,” Loki replied simply, not really in the mood to try and explain concealment spells to a seven/eight-year-old.

 

    “Oh, okay,” Madeline said, seeming satisfied with his answer.

 

    “So, then...?” Loki prompted expectantly.

 

    Madeline chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “They said they’re coming for me,” She replied finally, “That they’re going to take me back to their home and eat me; and that mommy and daddy won’t know because they’ll replace me with one of them and they’ll look like me.”

 

    Loki frowned again, knowing exactly what plagued this girl. He had to commend Jane’s motherly instincts for noticing anything was amiss at all; most humans these days wouldn’t. Then again, most humans didn’t know the things the scientist did, so perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised.

 

    “Well, then, Lady Madeline; you’re in luck,” Loki announced, “I happen to know how to drive those creatures away.”

 

    Madeline perked up immediately. “You do?” She asked hopefully.

 

    “Yes; I do,” Loki confirmed, “Will you accept my help? If you don’t; I’m afraid I can’t grant it.”

 

    Madeline looked as though she was about to agree then paused and sat back a little, narrowing her eyes slightly at him. “Auntie Darcy warned me about you,” She said almost accusingly, bottom lip sticking out in the most adorable pout, and Loki had to fight to keep from smiling at the sight, “She said that they call you the God of Mischief and that tricksters never do anything for free.”

 

    Loki lost his internal battle and let out a quiet laugh. “You were well informed,” He conceded with a nod.

 

    “So, what do you want?” Madeline asked.

 

    Loki made a great show of pretending to ponder the question, and then tapped his cheek with his finger. “A kiss from a pretty lady,” He replied with a half-smile.

 

    Madeline cocked her head to the side a bit. “Why would you want that?” She asked curiously.

 

    Loki shrugged. “Why would I want anything?” He replied dismissively.

 

    Madeline thought for a moment then seemed to accept his explanation, and Loki spared a thought to be grateful for the fact that she was still young enough that that reasoning made sense. “Okay,” She said at last then set her torch aside and moved towards him; she leaned up and kissed his cheek, then sat back happily.

 

    “My most sincere thanks,” Loki said graciously with a bow of his head and she smiled widely at him.

 

    Loki flicked his hand out and a green and gold glow covered it for a moment then revealed a small object in the centre of his palm; it was a golden hair pin, on which rested a very life-like amaranth flower made of a crystal-like material. He waved his other hand over it and the pin glowed for a moment, after which he held it out to her.

 

    “Place this under your pillow before you go to sleep, and it will keep bad intentions away,” He informed her, “You may also wear it during the day, or at least keep it with you somewhere.”

 

    Madeline nodded and took the pin; she turned and clambered over to her pillow, lifting it and setting the pin down before lowering it again. “Thank you-” She said as she turned around again, only to find her room empty.

 

    “Maddie? Sweetie; what are you doing up?” Jane called sleepily from the doorway before walking into the room and towards her daughter’s bed, “Did you have another nightmare?”

 

    Madeline nodded. “But it’s okay; they’ll stop now,” She informed her mother with absolute certainty.

 

    “Oh; well, that’s good,” Jane replied then motioned for the girl to lie down before pulling the covers over her and tucking her in. “Good night,” She said then leaned down and pressed a kiss to the girl’s forehead, “I love you.”

 

    “I love you too, mommy,” Madeline replied.

 

 

    The next day Loki was walking past one of the palace’s many balconies when Frigga called out to him; he stopped then turned and made his way over to her, fairly certain he knew what this was about. Frigga was silent for a while, simply looking out at the view of the courtyard, but Loki was determined not to make the first move so he stood by her without a word.

 

    “It’s the most curious thing,” The queen began at length, “This morning I found I seem to be missing one of my amaranth pins; the ones my sister gave me last century.” She turned her head towards Loki. “You haven’t seen it, have you, dear?” She asked, her tone giving nothing away, but Loki knew better.

 

    He feigned a pensive expression then shook his head slightly. “I’m afraid not,” He replied with a shrug.

 

    Frigga hummed. “You seem busy of late,” She commented, “Staying up at all hours of the night; your maids tell me your bed is more often than not undisturbed.”

 

    “Research,” Loki replied easily, “You know how I lose track of time when I find something interesting.”

 

    Another hum. “And if I were by chance to ask Heimdall of your activities last night...?” She let the question linger.

 

    “Then he can tell you I never left my chambers,” Loki replied, taking care to word it just so.

 

    Technically, it wasn’t a lie; he took great care to leave a projection in place whenever he snuck out, and as his illusions were a sort of extension of himself...

 

    “Good,” Frigga said with a smile, and he could tell she had understood perfectly.

 

    “I’m sorry for the loss of your pin; I know how much those mean to you,” Loki offered honestly.

 

    “Oh, that’s quite alright; such things are never truly lost,” Frigga replied knowingly, “They merely find their way to where they are needed most.”

 

    With that, Frigga turned and walked past him, and Loki looked out at the courtyard. The Trickster smiled to himself, glad that he had helped Madeline and hadn’t upset his mother in the process.


End file.
